Invisible

"You-" I cut off angrily, throwing the Monopoly bored across the room. The twins burst into cackling laughter while Corrie didn't even look up from where she was perched on the window sill, drawing.

The game room was a wreck, as we'd locked ourselves in there for about three hours, and was now littered with Monopoly pieces.

"Whats wrong?" Corrie mumbles.

"They cheat! They're both taking my money when I'm not looking!" I yell.

"Of course they're cheating. This is Alec and Ashton we're talking about." She still doesn't look up, but tucks hair behind her ears.

"Nice to know you're on my side, lovely," I mutter sarcastically.

"Lets play the XBox," Ashton suggests. "I know some epic cheat codes."

"Oh go to hell," I mutter, picking up the controller anyway.

"I'm going for food," Corrie says, setting down her sketchpad. "Any requests?"

"You," Ashton says, staring at the tv.

Corrie smacks him on the head. "Any other requests?"

"Animal crackers! We've got a bag in the pantry," I say excitedly. Corrie gives me a look.

"This kid, he's addicted to them," Alec says, patting my back. "We can't brake him off."

Corrie giggles and leaves, shutting the door softly behind her.

I smile to myself and start playing.

Corrie comes back after forever and a day, with a tray of food. The bag of animal crackers is on there, as well as what must be quesadillas. We all stop playing video games at the same time to attacke the food. "Hungry?" she asks as Ashton crams one in his mouth and starts on another. "Good thing I made a lot."

"How are you such a good cook?" I ask, starting on my second. "Its not fair."

"Natural talent," Corrie answers, eating her own slowly. She sits herself on the edge of our pool table, which she has to lift herself up to do so. I know I'm staring at her, like a creeper, but she's got the cutest expression on. Like she was thinking hard.

"Penny for your thoughts love?" I say, sitting down on the floor.

"We haven't heard from your family yet," she says with a small frown, looking down at her lap. "We left at noon yesterday."

"Probably all busy trying to keep everyone else out of the police station while also trying to run as fast as possible," Ashton says quietly.

We're silent for a second, then Alec speaks up. "Have we heard from Jake?"

"No. And Lorrie's missing."

"Probably fucking the football team," I sigh. "I swear, now that she's slept with Jake, I'm the only one on the team she hasn't slept with."

"Your sister is a hoe," Corrie sighs right back. "I even made her breakfast, but she wasn't here to eat it."

"You mean the muffins?" Ashton asks.

"Yes."

"Oh. Well, we ate them."

"Want to go out somewhere, baby?" I ask Corrie. "Lets go see a movie."

"I've been wanting-" Alec begins.

"Not you two," I say flatly.

Corrie giggles again, and I swear, she does it just because she knows it drives me wild. "How about it angel?"

"Okie dokie. What do we go see?"

"I dunno, I'll look up what they're showing." I get up and take the bag of animal crackers with me. I go find my laptop which had somehow migrated to on top of the tv in the living room and look up times and movies. "Hey babe!" I yell. "Come here and pick out a movie!"

Corrie skips down the stairs and over to me, picking up my laptop and replacing it with her, settling herself down on my lap. She's got her earbuds in, and is singing along. "I want your whiskey mouth all over my blonde south," she sings in a husky voice, which was hard to do with her light trilling voice, but it was fucking sexy and made my downstairs region twitch. "Red wine, cheap perfume and a filthy shout! Tonight bring all your friends because a group does it better."

She switched positions so she was straddling my lap. "You know, we never got to finish yesterday."

"No, we didn't," I answer back, mesmerized by the look on her face.

Corrie pulls off her shirt for me and kisses me, hands undoing my belt, then pulling down my jeans, then hooking her fingers on the elastic lining of my boxers.

"Holly shit Corrie," I moan.

She grins. "You're in good hands baby."
~
I don't remember exactly when Corrie and I got up to my bedroom, but its where we are now, tangled in the sheets with Corrie's hair covering much of Corrie. She's nearly asleep beside me, dozing while I'm in the same state as her, just playing with a lock of her curly hair. "What was that song you were singing baby girl?" I ask.

"Heavy Metal Lover by Lady Gaga," she murmurs, her eyelids fluttering. "Lady Gaga is like my idol."

I stroke my hand up one of her arms, feeling the parallel scars from her cutting underneath my fingertips. My hand travels up her arm, to her shoulder, then back down as I lace my fingers through hers backwards. "I love you."

"Love you more," Corrie whispers, closing her eyes.

"As if." I continue to watch her as her breathing slows and she falls asleep, one hand still limply holding mine.

"I love you," I whisper again, and I swear, she smiles ever so slightly in her dream.
~
My phone rings, waking us both up. Corrie shifts beside me, yawning, but I shut my eyes tighter, wondering who the hell had dared ruined my nap.

The ringing stops. I look over at Corrie, whose on her stomach, propped up on her elbows, talking on my phone. "Hello?"

I trace over one of the scars on her back, giving her goosebumps, but how could anyone ever hurt something as perfect as her?

"I'm Corrie, his girlfriend.... Well, he couldn't answer the phone.... Christ, calm down, who is this?... Aaron, would you talk to this guy." She hit me in the nose with my phone, trying to give it to me. I yelp, and cover my face. "Oh! I'm so sorry! Aaron, are you okay?" She pries my hands away from my face. "Shit, you're bleeding. I'm so so so sorry.' She retrieves my phone. "Can Aaron call you back, he's kind of bleeding. Thanks, sorry. Have a nice day."

I walk into the bathroom, shoving toilet paper up my bleeding nose. Corrie follows me in, her hair covering her breasts. "I'm sorry," she whimpers, but she has this small smile on.

"Trying to kill me?" I ask thickly. "Crazy."

"Definitely," she assures me, sauntering closer and wrapping her hands in mine. My breathing gets shorter. I need to get my act together.

"Who was on the phone?"

"Dunno."

"What did they want?"

"To talk to you." She stands up on her tip toes and brushes her hair behind her shoulders. "Are we still going to see a movie?"

"Yeah, but you gotta pick one out."

"You pick it out."

I go back into my room, pull on a pair of boxers, while Corrie wraps her tiny arms around my waist. "Aren't the guys supposed to be the crazy sex-charged ones?" I ask.

"Well you aren't instigating any sex."

"I think my dick begs to differ. And I wasn't even going to try, I thought it would be years before we made love."

She smiles against my back. "Like, married?"

"I was going to wait as long as necessary until you were ready. I was fairly convinced you'd be sex scarred for life."

"I feel a lot better about it with you, willingly, because I love you. And I know you'd never ever force it. I know you love me, I trust you."

"You should angel." I say, leaning back against her a little. She leans up as far as she can and her lips brush my neck. My heart beats faster.

"HOLY SHIT!"

Corrie screams and falls, while I twist. Jake is gaping at us. "You two... Had sex?" He asks incredulously.

"Dammit, Aaron, where the hell is my bra?" Corrie squeaks. I look over my shoulder, she's got her pantees on, and has her arms crossed over her breasts.

"Just put on one of the other ones," I say.

"No. They were a match set."

I laugh at her.

"Your bra's on the banister," Jake says, still clearly in awe. "I was wondering whose it was. So thats your shirt on the couch?"

Corrie inches behind my back. "Maybe."

"Woah. Holy shit. Aaron never has sex. Damn. I mean... Christ. I can't call you Virgin Mary anymore. Ho-o-o-oly fuck. Was this the first time?"

"No."

"WHAT THE FUCK?! YOU HAD SEX AND YOU DIDNT TELL ME?!" Jake screamed. "I'M YOUR BEST FRIEND!"

"Well, you were a bit busy fucking Lorrie," I snipe.

"Corrie, you know this is some real shit. Aaron must really love you."

"I do," I say.

"I know," Corrie beams.

"But do NOT go around telling the entire school. Okay?"

He grins wickedly, holding up a Mt Dew. "Now why would I do that?"

"Oh please?" Corrie begs. "Please?"

"Alright, I won't, promise Corrie," Jake says in a wierd voice. "Um... But um... Anyway.... Yeah... I..." He shuts his eyes. "I asked Lorrie out." He holds his breath like we're going to kill him.

We both gape at him, mirroring Jake's earlier look of astonishment. I can't process what he just said.

"No! You can't!' Corrie cries. "Its wrong! Tell him its wrong!" She hits me in the arm. "You can't, Jake! Aaron!"

"Dude... Not cool," I manage. "You can't.... Not Lorrie... She's my sister... Jake..."

"Jake you can't," Corrie's voice cracks. "Jake please, you really don't know what your doing."

He stares at her. "I've had girlfriends before, Corrie."

"Aaron. Help me."

"Jake this is not a good idea. My best friend and my sister. And you're both drunk whores. This is going to end so so so badly Jake."

"I know but... God, I don't know how I explain this... I just..."

'I'd rather you just have her as a fuck buddy, as gross as that might be," I say.

"Its not just for sex, Aaron."

"Its always just sex for you."

"I know, this is... Different."

"Does Lorrie know that?"

"Aaron... This is different... I legitimately like her. As a person."

"How? She's a bitch," I say, so confused I can't yell at him.

"You're her brother. You have to say that."

"Jake," Corrie says softly.

"Whats your deal?" Jake snaps, a little bit to harshly.

"Watch it," I snarl.

"Jake, you are so stupid, this is an awful idea."

"Now thats just getting old," Jake says, irritated.

"We can't stop you, but I don't like it," I sigh, because I know its true. "Just... Don't try to hurt her. Don't cheat on her or do anything like that, okay?"

"Never," Jake says, beaming.

But he can't help it. He cheated on the last three girlfriends he had.

"Well Lorrie's already promised to slow down the drinking at least, so, you know, take the hint," Corrie says like she's preparing for the worst.

Jake ignores her. "But anyways, you two get dressed. Lorrie and I are going to go see a movie and you two are coming."

I exchange a look with Corrie, who looks miserable. "I don't know, its going to be awkward."

"Precisely, which is why you two are coming," Jake chirps.

"Who hit you over the head with the stupid stick?" Corrie snaps. "I'm the queen of awkward."

"And I meant Awkward because you two are going to end up all over each other-"

"You're all over Corrie all the time."

"Yeah, but Lorrie's my sister."

"You think you'd be used to seeing her make out with random guys."

"Yeah, but you're my best friend. Aren't you wierded out?"

"Which is why you two are going. Come on."

We get dressed with an air of anxiety, and I don't know what to think. My parents are getting a divorce, and now Jake is going out with Lorrie.

"Oh screw it all," I mutter leaning my forehead against the wall.

Corrie just throws herself onto my bed, her hair fanning out about her. She's on her stomach and buries her face into my pillow. She says something I don't understand.

"What did you say, lovely?" I ask, rubbing her lower back through her insanely soft shirt.

Corrie moves her face to the side, but its still covered by hair. "Alec's going to kill me, but he's gay and he has a crush on Jake."

I blink in surprise. "Thats it. Overload. I'm going to play XBox until everything thats happened vanishes from my memory. See you in like two hours. Or days" I'm serious too. I try to walk out, but Corrie grabs me.

"Believe me babe, I know what you mean."

"Why is everything so damn complicated? Mom's cheating on Dad, Kaylee's pregnant and you're too nice to tell her to fuck off, Jake's dating Lorrie, and Alec's gay for Jake. Why is it all happening now?"

"I know. Its only a matter of time before Dad figures out where you live, too."

"I wont let him touch you."

"I know, but the world's coming down, so-"

"WHAT?!" Alec screeches from wherever.

"While were out, we need to get ice cream," Corrie sighs.
~
We go up to the clerk, Corrie carrying so many different tubs of ice cream she can hardly see. I've got a basket with different other things. Animal crackers (since I'd eaten all of the other bag), a bag of those Ghiradelli dark chocolate squares with raspberry goo inside (because I distinctly remember Corrie saying something about them at one point or another), cat food for Mirrors, a cat toy for Mirrors, a thing of raspberries because Corrie wanted them (seeing a pattern?), and some other things for Corrie's cooking passion.

I have to help Corrie unload all her ice cream so it doesn't go all over the place. The clerk chick looks at us funny, an it makes Corrie uncomfortable.

"My gay cousin is having a nervous meltdown," I explain, then hold up the bottle of sleeping pills I got. "We're going to sneak this in and knock him out. Ice cream is his choice comfort food."

She blinks, says nothing, and starts ringing up ice cream. Corrie and I put the rest of the stuff on the conveyer belt thing.

"The school's going to be heartbroken. They both have a possey of half the girls in the school following them around," I muse.

"I know. He's too scared to tell anyone. Even you. I told him you'd be okay with it. You are okay with it?"

"Duh." Of course I am. Its still Alec. Just no wonder he's never had a girlfriend.

"Only Ashton and I knew." Corrie puts a pack of gum on top of the last tub of ice cream and smiles at me. I roll my eyes.

I pay and we leave, me now carrying the majority of the bags, Corrie swinging along the two lightest ones.

"We've still got two days until school starts back up, so how about you start learning to drive tomorrow?" I say as I get in the car.

"Really?" Corrie gasps.

"Yeah. Really. We'll go to an empty parking lot so you can't kill anyone, and if you can learn to drive my truck, you can drive anything."

"Don't most guys not want to let their girlfriends drive their truck? Let alone learn how to drive in it?"

"I'm not most guys love."

"No. You aren't. I'm apolagizing now, for when I kill your pretty truck."

"You wont."

"Haven't you noticed, I tend to faint when I'm scared."

"Well, yeah, but I'm sitting shot gun. And you wont be going out on roads for a while, worry not."

"I hate being scared all the tome, of everything," Corrie huffs. "I wish I could be normal."

I take her hand. "It'll get better, I promise."

"I know. It already is," Corrie says, smiling into her lap. She has her legs folded up on the seat.

"Besides, you'll be far from normal even when you stop fainting in terror. Too beautiful, too talented." I turn the car, but I'm watching the way the street lamps periodically light up Corrie.

"Would you watch the road?" She asks, noticing.

"Driving with you is to much of a distraction," I whine.

"A destraction?" Corrie purrs, her voice changing dramatically and it sends shivers up my spine. "Too bad I want to live."

When we get home I notice Jake's parents are back, and Mom's car is in the driveway. I freeze as I park the car. "Lets go somewhere else," I suggest.

"Where?" She asks, not arguing.

"Errr..."

"Aaron, is that you?" Dad calls out the door.

"God dammit," I sigh, getting out of the car. We retrieve our grocery bags and head inside, Corrie instantly vanishing with two of the tubs of ice cream, leaving me to disperse of the rest.

"Corrie wait," Dad says. "Will you get the twins and Lorrie?"

"Um, I don''t think Lorrie's back yet, and Alec is kind of a wreck," Corrie whispers, barely audible.

"I'll get Lorrie, you dope up Alec with the sleeping pills and pull him down anyway," I instruct, then call Lorrie.

"What?" She snaps.

"Damn, nice to talk to you too, bitch. Get over here, you're needed." I hang up before she can object and go to shove the rest of the ice cream in the freezer.

When we're all assembled Alec is passed out over the arm of the couch. I feel kind of bad about it, but its the easiest way to deal with him right now. Then Ashton's sitting there with Lorrie, and Corrie and I are curled up on the loveseat. Mom and Dad are sitting in seperate chairs. Mom's obviously been crying. Whore.

Corrie lays her head on my chest and I automatically stroke her hair, glaring at my mom all the while. Slut.

To everyone's amazement, Corrie speaks first. "That Roe guy came on to me," she sayus, her voice laced with hurt. "And I got scared and you just said I do it all the time. And I still saw you sneak off with him while everyone was drunk. I trusted you. I thought you were nice, and that you'd be the Mom that I lost, but no. Thats just stupid little Corrie trusting people isn't it? Do you even know what happened to me, or did you just forget? Would you have let him hurt me if Aaron hadn't shown up?"

I'm stunned by two things: that Corrie's brave enough to avtually say that out loud, and how hurt she really is.

"Bitch," I snarl at my Mom after wiping away Corrie's tears that won their way out.

"I agree with Aaron," Ashton hisses. "And I'm not even your kid."

"Why are you still here?" Lorrie wonders, sounding the angriest of us all.

Mom wilts even more, and says nothing.

"And old people sex is gross," Lorrie continues, her voice sharper than a knife. "When we caught you, your ass drooped like shit and his dick was- eurgh. I had to suck one to just make sure they weren't all like that."

Mom shrinks a little more.

"You aren't stupid, I trusted her too," Dad says in an ice cold voice to Corrie.

"Are you an awful person Miss Holly, or are you one of the poser bitches that get some dumbass thrill from some... Monster?" Corrie asks clearly.

Silence.

"Answer the question."

"Poser," Mom's whisper even cracks.

Corrie's lips twist in a cruel smile thats uncharacteristic on her tiny face. "But thats everyone's answer, Miss Holly. My answer, the right one, is that everyone chooses that answer because no one wants to think of themselves as evil, or if they do like it, they're the real posers. But, there's only one real breed of bad people."

I run my hand up and down Corrie's arm as she sighs and shuts her eyes. "And they're everywhere."

"Not as many as you might think lovely," I murmur.

"My life sucks anyway," she mutters, rolling her head to the side. "No, no I don't mean that. It used to suck. I've got you now."

"You know, you two are one of the wierdest couples I've ever seen, right?" Ashton says. "We're trying to have a serious conversation."

"One that Corrie does not need to be a part of, you're stressed out enough. Go onto bed angel."

She does without complaint. As soon as I hear the shower start, I look Mom dead in the eyes and say the truest words I've ever spoken (aside from the 'I love yous' to Corrie), "I hate you."

Those words leave a stunned silence.

"No you don't," Mom says. More like begs, actually.

"Yeah, I do. Corrie has enough trust issues, bitch. I can't believe I ever could call you Mom.' The anger in me is bubbling into my body, causing jerking twitches. "Would you have let him hurt her? Do you not realize all she's been through, all its done to her? And what you said about her- thats really and truly why I hate you, Holly."

"She's just your girlfriend," Mom says in a quiet voice. "You don't really love her."

"just because you've never loved anyone other than yourself doesn't mean I can't. I really do love her. If I didn't, I'd just be pissed at you. I'm pissed, and I never want to see your God damn face again, so stay the hell away from me. And Corrie. I don't want you anywhere near her." I get up and go, but half way up the stairs I stop and turn back to the somber-faced room. "And do you want to know how I know I love her? Because I know I'd die for her in an instant. Because every other thought of mine is Corrie. Because I love to watch her while she's drawing or painting. Because I want to give her the fucking world and never let creatures like you hurt her again."

I go into the bathroom, honestly not giving a damn if they watched me do it. Corrie notices me right away, her hands thick in her shampoo-soaked hair. I slide down with my back against the door and watch her as she begins to rinse out her hair. "Why don't you come join me?"

"Because now that I've sat down I don't want to get back up."

"Would you get in here?" She asks, putting her hands on her hips and looking at me through the clear shower curtain.

I strip and obey, climbing in the hot water. Corrie likes her shower burning hot.

"I'm so sorry Aaron," Corrie murmurs, leaning back against me. I say nothing, but I sump a lot of conditioner onto her head and start massaging it into her beautiful hair. Once its all soaped up I twirl it all on the top of her head and smile. She rolls her eyes and begins to rinse. "You going to get clean or am I going to have to do it for you?"

"I'm afraid I've forgotten how to use the soap."

"We aren't doing it in the shower while your parents are downstairs."

"Fine," I say, retrieving my soap. Corrie has this scrubby stuff that smells like oranges, but I'm not going to smell like a chick. I know my soap smells amazing, but in a much manlier way. Its some obscure stuff Mom-Holly found me, not the over used Axe and Old Spice.

Corrie climbs out of the shower and goes to wash her face. I finish getting clean and step out, reaching for my towel. Corrie's towel is almost as tall as she is.

"You need a smaller towel."

"Why?"

"Because I can't see you around it."

She rolls her eyes and begins to get dressed in her pjs. I didn't plan on taking a shower, so my pjs are in the other room.

"I'm amazingly tired, but I don't want to go to sleep," I sigh, pulling on basketball shorts over my boxers.

"Want to go up to the loft? I feel like painting anyway."

I drag my comforter and pillow up with me and lay down on the floor while Corrie's brushes move hypnotically.